Under Cover Remade
by Amelia Wolfson
Summary: What if Kate never died and she was sent with Tony to impersonate the Raniers? Strongly suggest reading Quantum Twilight first, or else the ending might not make sense.
1. Chapter 1

The elevator chimed as the doors slid open to the squad room which was calmer than usual; not a lot of activity was going on in early November for any of the teams stationed at the Naval Yard. Looking at her watch, Kate realized that she was very nearly late for her shift. Silently cursing the longer than usual line at DC Beans that morning as she hurried to her desk, taking the last few sips of her coffee before disposing of the cup in the waste basket and removing the pea-coat she wore to ward off the late Autumn chill. Looking around, she realized that Gibbs wasn't at his desk, breathing a sigh of relief that maybe he wasn't aware that she had arrived late, she relaxed and turned on her computer.

The sound of the machine booting up caught McGee's attention, "Boss wants to see you in the small conference room."

"Great," Kate sighed, standing and smoothing out the non-existent wrinkles in her light charcoal suit. She'd been on the team nearly three years, enough time to know that if the boss wanted to see you in private, it was not bound to be a good thing. With a deep breath, to calm her nerves, she made her way to the conference room that had just been installed next to the newly renovated break room.

As she opened the door, she saw Gibbs standing next to the picture window a cup of coffee in his hand, "Good morning, Kate," He smiled, and nodded to one of the chairs surrounding the oblong table, "Take a seat."

"What's going on?" She slid into the indicated chair, trying not to appear too nervous.

"Got a job for you," Gibbs took the seat at the end of the table, diagonally from her, and slid a cup of coffee from his java dealer towards her.

"Oh no," She groaned, "Who do you need me to profile now?"

"No one," Gibbs took a sip of his coffee, but before he could continue, the door swung open again as Tony made his way into the small room. Kate felt a pain start to develop behind her eyes. "You're late, sit down." Gibbs directed, pointing to the other seat diagonally from him and across from Kate.

"Yes, Boss," Tony sat quickly, "Probie said you wanted to see me?" He then turned to Kate, giving her a flirtatious grin, "And good morning to you fair, Katie."

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" She huffed her eyes.

"Oh, one cannot count that high," He teased, "I don't think I'll ever be able to stop."

"Hey!" Gibbs cut them off, getting frustrated with their banter, "Bicker on your own time, I have a mission for you two." He slid dossiers to them both which they promptly opened and perused the files.

Kate's file contained a picture of a beautiful woman with dark hair and hazel eyes. There was an air of mystery behind the woman's eyes, directly behind it was a picture of the same woman, dead, clearly taken on one of Ducky's autopsy tables. A quick glance of the reports identified the woman as Sophie Ranier, an assassin who allegedly been hired to enact a hit but had died in an automobile accident alongside her husband a few days before. "What does this have to do with us?" She looked back at Gibbs, searching his face for anything that might clue her into what the man was thinking.

"Sophie and Jean-Paul Ranier," Gibbs looked at them both, "Married assassins, they were on their way to the Barclay to execute a hit at the Marine Corps Birthday Ball, but died in a car accident coming in from Quebec. We don't have information on who the target might be or who sent them, but since news of their deaths have not been made public, we are sending the two of you to stand in for them."

"Come on, Gibbs, can't someone else do it?" Kate groaned as Tony grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"No, you two are my senior field agents," Gibbs gave them both stern looks, "Ziva accompanied Ari's body back to Tel Aviv and hasn't returned yet, and McGee isn't ready for undercover work, not to mention I need him here during this op. Not to mention, the two of you are the only partners we have that come anywhere close to meeting the description of the couple. The two of you will just have to get over it and do the job."

"But…" Kate started.

"No buts, Kate," Gibbs shot her a look that was a cross between frustrated boss and scolding father. "You two will take the rest of the day to familiarize yourselves with the case and get ready, you check into the Barclay later tomorrow. If the two of you mess this up, I promise you that you will not like the results." With that he stormed out the door.

"I guess, we'd better start studying, _Sweetheart_." Tony teased, causing Kate to roll her eyes and leave, file in her hand.

Moments later, she made her way into Abby's lab, "Uh oh, I know that face," Her best friend chuckled, "What did Tony do now?"

"Tony is only part of the problem," Kate sighed, "Gibbs is putting us undercover…"

"That's not so bad," Abby shrugged, "You two work well together, it's like you are one unit, you have this unspoken way of communicating, moving, almost as if you share a brain."

"I have no desire to share a brain with Tony," Kate scoffed, "And you didn't let me finish, he's sending us under as a _married couple_! I mean can you believe that? How is anyone going to believe that me and Tony are married to each other? He so…"

"Handsome, kind, caring…" Abby led her friend over to the futon in her office where both women sat.

"Frustrating, immature, annoying..." Kate rebutted.

"Oh, he's not all that bad," Abby rolled her eyes, "And you know Tony is harmless. How much time do you have to prep?"

"We check into the Barclay Hotel tomorrow." Kate laid her head back on the futon.

"Nice digs." Abby smiled appreciatively.

"Gibbs gave us the rest of the day to study the dossiers but how are we supposed to convince people we are a married couple?" Kate demanded, "I can hardly stand to be in the same room with him most times."

"Me thinks the lady protests doth too much," Abby chuckled under her breath before an idea struck her. "Wait here, I have an idea," She popped up and ran out the door.

Kate was just finishing up her second look over the back history of Sophie Ranier when Abby came in, Tony and McGee hot on her heels. Kate raised a questioning eyebrow to her friend as she stood and walked over to the group, "Okay, so we know that Kate and Tony have to go undercover and be convincing as a married couple," The excitable goth explained.

"That shouldn't be too hard, they already fight like an old married couple," McGee chuckled.

"Not helping, Timmy." She mock-scolded, "We have to assume that they will be under observation not only by us but by whomever hired them. Which means that they may have to carry on the façade inside their room as well, but we'll get to that in a minute."

"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like what you're thinking?" Kate groaned.

"What, are you afraid of me, Katie?" Tony taunted her.

"Tony, not helping," Abby shot him a glare before rolling her eyes. "We first have to get you comfortable touching each other."

"I'm liking this plan so far," Tony grinned stepping toward Kate and pulling her toward him by her hips.

"DiNozzo!" Kate pushed him off, slapping his bicep.

"Tony, for once in your life, would you just be serious?" Abby sighed, "If you two are going to be convincing, you have to trust each other. We'll start with the little things, like hand holding."

Tony nodded solemnly, he walked to stand next to Kate and gently took her hand in his, interlacing their fingers. "Like this?" He checked.

Abby and McGee observed the two, waiting until Kate relaxed a bit before proceeding to the next step in their experiment. "Good, just like that," Abby nodded, "Now try walking around the lab as if you were escorting her on a date. Try other types of physical connection than holding hands." The pair nodded as they walked aimlessly around the lab, Tony alternated holding Kate's hand with having her hold his arm, having his hand gently at the small of her back as he led her through narrow areas and pulling her tighter to his side, his hand resting comfortably on her hip. Each change in contact, caused Kate to tense up a little bit before relaxing into the contact, as the exercise continued, that flinch got smaller and smaller until it was almost non-existent.

He loved how after a while the contact became second nature to them, when he would place his hand on her hip, or shoulder, she was starting to lean into him a bit. He knew it was just pretend, but there were a few moments when had his arm over her shoulder that her arm instinctively wrapped around his waist, the delicate brush of her fingers on his side and the subtle scent of her perfume bringing new awareness to his body. He always knew she was attractive, and if they didn't work together, he probably would have given into the attraction for a night. She was his partner now, and he knew better, knew they were incompatible, and even if they weren't, there was still rule number 12 they had had to contend with. If he tried anything, or even thought anything romantically inclined about Kate, Gibbs would skin him alive.

"Well I think that is working out just fine." Abby smiled, "Now for the next step, intimacy."

"What?!" Cried Kate, "No, no way!"

"I don't mean sex, Kate," Abby insisted, "I mean the way you look at each other, interact."

"What do you have in mind, Abbs?" Tony asked, looking between the two women.

"Okay, I need you two to face each other." She instructed as the pair stood facing their friends who were running and observing this little experiment.

"Tony, take her hands in hers and look into her eyes." Abby instructed, "I want you to focus on each other, but not to speak." When Kate opened her mouth to protest, Abby shushed her, "I said no talking."

Tony silently nodded and took a step toward Kate, with his hands on her shoulders, he gently turned her to face him so that they were perpendicular to the other two. He gently slid his hands from her shoulders, down the backs of her arms and finally to her fingertips before taking her hands in his, his thumbs gently tracing small circles on the backs of her hands. He took the time to take in all of her, from the burgundy heels that raised her height to just below the level of his nose to the grey skirt that flowed gently over his hips and flared slightly at the bottom, flirting with her knees. Her matching grey suit jacket followed her form nicely without being too revealing. The camisole she wore underneath matched the shoes she wore, the golden crucifix that always was around her neck rested just below her clavicle. She had worn her hair half up so that the lower portion flowed to just below her shoulders, while the upper half was caught up in a clip. Her bangs were swept to the side, but fell slightly over her eyes which were akin to warm milk chocolate. This is where he rested, looking into her eyes, matching her breathing to hers, it was like they were in their own world, everything else faded away.

"Wow," Abby sighed, watching her friends transfixed on each other just a few moments longer.

"No kidding," McGee chuckled, looking between Abby and their co-workers, "Are you sure we should be doing this?"

"Of course we should, Timmy," Abby insisted, "If they can't pass as a married couple in all aspects of the words, their cover might be blown."

"You're not going to make them…"

"No," Abby cut him off, "I would never, not that I would complain if they did, I mean can you imagine what their babies would look like?"

"Abby…" McGee warned.

"Oh, don't get your panties in a twist, McGee," Abby rolled her eyes, "I think I know a way to make it seem as if they are without them actually doing it."

"If you say so." McGee shrugged.

"You'll see," Abby smiled turning back to their friends who had subconsciously stepped closer to one another. She had been watching the two of them dance around each other for the past three years, and although she knew of Gibbs' rule number 12, she was still surprised that something hadn't happened after Tony had the plague or even after Kate had narrowly escaped being killed by Ari. She would have thought one or both of those events would have knocked some sense into the partners, but they were both so stubborn. "Great, now kiss her."

Tony nodded his understanding, seeing the slight panic in Kate's eyes, he took it slow. He lifted his right hand to brush her bangs back from her eyes, trailing his fingertips down her jawline before tucking his finger under her chin and tilting her head up as he bent his own down until their lips met. The kiss was soft and sweet, he didn't want to push his luck and undo all the work they had done so far. He heard her sigh as he stepped back, he watched as her eyes fluttered open. He was surprised to see that her hazel eyes had turned a deep emerald green.

"Well, that was certainly PG rated," Abby teased, "You're married, you gotta give it more than that."

Tony looked back down at Kate, seeking permission at her slight nod, he weaved his fingers through her hair and pulled her in once more smiling as she gripped he lapels of his suit jacket. His lips were gentle at first as he wrapped his other arm around Kate's waist, pulling her closer to him. He gently traced the seam of her mouth with his tongue, requesting permission for entrance. He couldn't believe it when he felt her hand move to play with the short hairs on the nape of his neck as she sighed and opened up to him, allowing him to deepen the kiss. He didn't know how long they'd been there before he heard someone clear their throat loudly, causing them to jump apart, both blushing.

"What the hell is going on here?" Gibbs demanded, looking between the three agents and the lab tech who looked all levels of pleased and embarrassed.

"Sorry Gibbs," Abby spoke up, "This was all my idea. You see, Kate was worried about her and Tony being able to pass as a couple in public just in case they were under surveillance aside from ours."

"Uh huh," Gibbs nodded, looking at the agents in question.

"So, we ran a few experiments, starting with having them hold hands, then slowly moving to more intimate touching and interactions."

"'Intimate?'" Gibbs raised an eyebrow at the lab tech.

"Yeah, you know, arms around each other, the way a guy's hand will sometimes rest on the lower back of a woman he's escorting through a narrow area, looking into each other's eyes, intimate." Abby explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"That was not what I just saw." Gibbs countered.

"Well that was the next step," Abby shrugged, starting to get nervous under the penetrating stare of the team leader, "I figured they should probably be comfortable kissing, so that was what I had them do first, and while their first kiss was very sweet, it was too 'first date' for a married couple to be engaging in, so I told them to turn up the heat, so to speak."

"I'll say that it worked." Gibbs turned toward the soon-to-be-undercover agents, "So long as pretend is all it is. I have rule number 12 for a reason." With that, he turned on his heel and walked out the door leaving the four younger people to let out a collective breath that none of them realized they'd been holding.

"Now that we have the kissing down, I think we need to talk about sex…" Tony and KateR shared a concerned look before looking back at their friend who had an impish look on her face.


	2. Chapter 2

It was nearing midnight as the manager of the restaurant came to the booth where the amorous couple were sitting. It was clear to the wait staff who had been serving the pair all night that they were deeply in love. They'd spent all night touching, kissing, and laughing all night while continually refilling their wine glasses. Judging by the rings on their fingers, they must have been newlyweds. He cleared his throat to get their attention, "Excuse me Monsieur, and Madam, but we are past our normal closing time." The Maître d' spoke as politely as he could manage, "I'm afraid I am going to have to ask you to leave so that I may send my staff to their homes."

"Ma Amour, I believe that we must be going," The young man turned to his bride, brushing her hair behind her hear and pecking her on the nose.

The woman simply smiled at him and slid out of the booth, drawing no shortage of eyes from the waiters and male employees in the lounge as she sashayed toward the exit, her backless dress flowing seductively over her body, leaving little to the imagination. She turned back as the man quickly signed the bill over to their room, "You coming, Doudou?"

"Coming, ma Biche," The man gracefully rose to his feet and strode across the room, escorting his wife out, his hand at her back, fingers flirting with the fabric the barely covered the woman's shapely rear end.

The pair quickly made their way to their room, taking advantage of every nook and elevator between the lounge and their room to share a moment. Many guests and personnel saw them, envious or wishing they had that much passion in their lives. The pair could feel the eyes of the gawkers on them, but they didn't care. He nearly fumbled the key card to their room as she slowly undid his tie, released a few buttons, and attached her lips to his pulse point. His Adams' Apple bounced at he swallowed hard, trying to regain focus on the task at hand while her hand made its way under his suit jacket, tracing circles as they teased their way up his back.

He whispered a small prayer of thanks as he saw the flashing green light and heard the confirming beep of the locking mechanism as it disengaged, allowing him to open the door as they stumbled through. Dropping shoes and clothing items like they were breadcrumbs leading to the suite's bedroom, they made their way to the chamber. By the time they reached the foot of the bed, he was in nothing but his suit pants and under shirt, having kicked off his shoes in the living room. She stood shorter than usual as her Jimmy Choos had joined his Fratelli Borgiolis in the sitting area along with his socks, jacket, dress shirt, and tie. She could barely contain the shiver of anticipation as she felt his rough fingertips trace their way along the delicate skin of her biceps and shoulders as they made their way to the clasp at the back of her neck where the halter-top dress' closure lay.

He lowered his mouth to hers as he slowly unhooked the closure, reveling in the moan she released as the last hook was released and the garment pooled to the floor at her feet. It was the same reaction he had as she traced her hands down his chest and over his abs before resting on the closure of his dress pants. He sighed as the felt her lower the zipper and release the hook closure of the pants causing them to drop unceremoniously at his feet. He helped her step free of her gown as he stepped out of the legs of his pants. He saw and impish smile on her face as she looked him over, "Perhaps I should start calling you Mon Loulou instead of Doudou, Mon Amour," She teased, tracing her fingers over his chest, tangling them in the hair she found there.

He growled in response, grabbing her by the waist and tossing her on the bed as she squealed and retreated toward the head of the bed, resting her head on the pillows found there and posing seductively for him, "Like what you see, Loulou?"

"Very much so," He purred, kissing her stomach and neck before fusing his lips to hers, feeling her melt beneath him. He knew he wanted this to last so he took his time, moving over her, loving every sigh, moan, and sultry laugh that escaped her lips over the next hour and a half before they curled up in the bed, him on his back with her snuggled into his chest to sleep until morning.

"Damn, that was hotter than pay-per-view," The man watching the thermographic camera sat back. "I'll give them this, they definitely have stamina."

"Don't you feel the least bit bad about watching that?" The woman demanded, "I mean watching them make their plans is one thing, but you could had turned away or at the very least turned down the microphones when they started going at it."

"You are such a prude, Maya." He teased, a smug smile on his face.

"And you're a pig, Yussef," She retorted, "What would your wife say if she knew you watched that?"

"She'd ask if I'd taken notes," Yussef grinned and gave her a wink.

"Pig," Maya huffed, storming into the bathroom and slamming the door that served as the only barrier in the studio apartment that they were using as their observation base. Yussef just chuckled and leaned back to try to get some shut-eye. The couple were asleep, so they might as well get some rest before their backup arrived in the morning to relieve them.

The couple was awoken by a knock on their door as they heard a male voice announce, "Room Service," He was out of bed first, pulling a robe over the boxers he'd worn to bed, and shut the bedroom door behind him before opening the main door of the suite to let the uniformed man and his cart to enter. "I have room service order for a Mr. and Mrs. Ranier courtesy of your father-in-law." Tony watched as McGee signaled to not speak too much as he swept the room for bugs and placed a few of his own. They soon found a listening device hidden in a knickknack on the table. McGee nonchalantly placed the dome lid from one of the trays over it to muffle the reception. "If you whisper, you should be okay for now, I'll trace the bug and disable it, but until you hear otherwise, leave the lid there."

McGee took a quick look around the room before turning back to Tony, "Looks like someone had a good night," He chuckled.

"Shut up McGee before you McGetIt." Tony warned.

"I'm going, I'm going," Tim raised his hands in surrender turning back to the cart to unload the trays of bagels, schmear, and fruit along with a carafe of coffee for them.

"Good morning, McGee," Kate smiled at him, drying her hair with a towel, similarly clad in a robe to Tony.

"Morning," He smiled back, "I'll be back later to collect the trays for you, Monsieur and Madam."

"If you see a sock on the door," Tony smirked, "Well I think you can figure it out." McGee and Kate both rolled their eyes at his antics as McGee made his exit. Tony turned to Kate, dropping his voice a bit, "There's a bug under that lid, so don't move it." Kate nodded her understanding as she spread a bit of cream cheese on a bagel and bit in. Tony watched transfixed as her tongue peaked out, running over her upper lip to catch a bit of cream that had stayed on her lip. "You keep doing that, and I may just have to take you back for a round two."

Kate looked up at him and grabbed a strawberry, slowly pushing the berry past her lips before biting down, the juice staining her lips. "I just may let you," She smirked up at him, "If you can catch me first."

With that she leaped up from the couch and darted across the room toward the bedroom, she managed to evade Tony a few times, but before long, he'd caught her and thrown her on the bed before covering her body with his own, releasing the ties of their robes and pulling the blanket up over them. "You think you're so slick," Kate teased, rolling him over and laying on top of him.

"I have my moments," He smirked before she slugged him in the shoulder, "What?"

Kate gave him a disbelieving look as she sat up, straddling his lap, "Uh huh."

"It was my knee!" He protested, "But I have to tell you I'm liking this thing with you being on top, gives me a lot of access," He reached up and pulled her to him once more ravaging her lips with his own as his fingers traced up and down her bare back. He groaned a second time as hit his shoulder once more.

"That was definitely not your knee," She gave him a look that was part scolding and part tease, which made him want to do nothing but dive back into their make-out session.

Soon he was rolling her back over and doing a set of pushups as she lay beneath him as Abby had suggested. After some experimentation, they discovered doing pushups looked a lot like having sex when viewed through a thermographic camera so that was what they had settled upon for when they figured they might be observed in the bedroom. It seemed a little silly at first, when viewed by the naked eye, but it seemed to get the job done. "Are you close?" Kate quirked her eyebrow at him as he reached the mid 80's in his count.

"Very nearly, gotta hold on a little longer; I got a reputation to protect." Tony insisted, his descents and accents over her body smooth. Kate watched in fascination as the muscles of his arms and chest expanded and contracted with each press. "98…99…100, now I'm done." He kissed her gently and laid back on the bed, pulling her toward him so that she could rest her head on his shoulder as they both dozed off for a mid-morning nap.

Kate awoke to Tony gently shifting her off of him as he crawled out of the bed, "Where're you going?" She asked sleepily.

"Shower, that is unless you want to join me," Tony teased, although deep down in the corner of his mind he desperately hoped she would want to join him.

"No, you go ahead, I'm gonna get dressed and call Papa." She smiled at him. As soon as she heard the water running in the bathroom, she pulled open the drawers where the bell boy had unpacked her things and found the bra that matched the panties she was already wearing, socks, jeans, and a comfortable sweater which she promptly put on and, grabbing her cell phone, headed into the living room to call Gibbs, or 'Papa' as they were going to call him for the duration of the op, allowing whomever might be listening to them assume that she was simply calling her father.

"Gibbs," Came the gruff voice of their team leader.

"Bonjour, Papa," She cooed into the receiver, "Merci boucoup for the delicious petit r galer."

"You're welcome," Gibbs chuckled, "McGee managed to disable the bug he found and he'll be back to collect they trays later. Is Tony behaving himself?"

"As much as he can," Kate smirked, "Which isn't much, but what do you expect?"

"Let me know if I need to do any ass kicking before this thing is done." Gibbs' paternal side leaked into the words.

"Oh Papa," Kate giggled, "I think Jean-Paul is afraid of you a little bit."

"I am not!" DiNozzo called out as he entered the room and indicated she hand over the phone, "Beau-P re, not scared, more a healthy level of self-preservation."

"You just make sure you preserve yourself from going too far." Gibbs warned, "You two been able to glean any more information on who the target might be?"

"Non," Tony sighed, "We have not heard yet, but hopefully when we get back from lunch. There was a café we wanted to try for lunch."

"Let me know if you hear anything." Gibbs directed him.

"Oui oui," Tony nodded, "Do you wish to speak with Sophie once more before you go?"

"Put her on, it would seem odd if she did not say goodbye to her father."

"Ma Amour, ton Papa pour toi," Tony cooed to Kate who just rolled her eyes.

"Oui Papa?"

"Make sure Tony keeps his hands to himself." Gibbs reminded her.

"Oui Papa," Kate smirked looking up at Tony who was grabbing their coats, "I will make sure he is very good. Salut!"

"Good bye, Kate." Gibbs hung up.

"So, what's the plan?" Kate accepted her coat from Tony.

"First, lunch," Tony informed her, pulling on his coat and helping her with her own, "Then maybe a walk, see if the confirmation for our order has come in yet."

"Lunch sounds good." Kate smiled up at him, grabbing her purse before taking the hand that he offered, "Where do you have in mind?"

"You'll see," Tony grinned and led her out the door.

The café they had found in the hotel had terrace seating and overlooked the atrium. After being chastised by McGee for staring at the hostess' butt as she led them to their seat, Tony pulled a chair out for Kate and promptly took his seat across from her. They ordered a light lunch of a salad for Kate and a sandwich for Tony which was paired with iced tea. While they placed their order, Tony took Kate's hand in his, continuing to caress the back of it absently with his thumb until their food arrived. "Ma Amour, are you enjoying the view" He asked as they continued the casual sweep of the other diners, many of whom were high ranking officers and diplomats both in and out of uniform, some sitting together, some with their family or a significant other. "You didn't happen to see our old friend, did you?"

"Non," Kate smiled up at him, trying not to drool at how handsome he looked in the dark frames he wore which housed a miniature camera that broadcast what they were seeing back to Abby's lab, "But perhaps I was mistaken about when it was we were to see him."

"Or perhaps he found another way to entertain himself," Tony smiled cheekily, wiping his mouth with the napkin from his lap and offering Kate a hand up since she was clearly done with her salad and was just pushing it around with her fork, a habit he'd noticed other times they'd gone out for lunch so that it didn't appear like she'd wolfed down her food before her companions. "Which doesn't sound like a bad idea, to me. Care to join me for a walk?"

"I would love to, Mon Loulou," Kate giggled appropriately, linking her arm with his as they descended the stairs to the atrium to enjoy an early afternoon walk. An hour later they arrived to find a package sitting on the table in their room. "Looks like my sunglasses finally arrived," Kate opened the package to reveal a pair of glasses with interchangeable lenses, a suggestion that Ziva had made when she heard of the operation after calling to confirm the start date of her liaison position. One set of lenses were the basic tint of sunglasses, but the box also had a set that had a slightly different tint allowing usually difficult to see or invisible lights to be seen. "What do you think?"

"I think they look well on you," Tony chuckled as Kate struck a pose before looking out the window just briefly as if watching a bird fly by.

"Just as I thought," Kate sighed, "We are being watched as well as listened to. Red light of a surveillance camera is coming from the apartment building next door."

"Shall we give them a show?" He stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling her neck. He wasn't much of a nuzzle in his real life, but there was something about the action that seemed right between the two of them.

"Work first, Loulou," Came the soft reprimand, "Remember there were a few contracts you wanted to look over while we were visiting. It should only take an hour or so then we can get back to our vacation."

"You drive a hard bargain, Soph," Tony sighed, releasing her and walking over to the sofa where the laptop that had been cloned from the one that was damaged in the accident sat. Just as Katie had thought, an email was waiting for them in the secure email box. Unfortunately, the details were still as vague as the last communique, referring only to the focus of the hit as 'the target' and that they would be contacted by the phone in their suite later that evening. They still had a few days to figure out who the target was before the Marine Birthday Ball, but it was frustrating for them both to fly as blind as they were.

Once they were done reviewing the details of the case that they had learned so far, Kate shot off a quick email to Gibbs to inform them of the observation detail across the way. With any luck, it would be someone who had sent the assassins and the mission could be over before either of them said or did anything they might regret later.


	3. Chapter 3

Maya and Yousef arrived early to relieve their boss and other teammate for the night shift watching the Raniers. So far, all the team knew was the couple enjoyed each other's company quite a bit and that they had somehow figured out how to disable the bug that had been placed in the room. Maya had been instructed to replace the bug the next morning, she was not looking forward to wearing the maid uniform that was now hanging in the closet. Especially with the way Yousef's gaze kept going between the garment and herself. Their boss had excused himself to the washroom while Maya and Yousef settled in for the night. Suddenly the main door slammed open, Maya and Yousef turned, weapons drawn as several shouts identifying people in the room as federal agents cried out from all corners.

They heard the toilet flush as their boss stepped out into the common room, "What is all the ruckus?" He demanded, drying his hands, giving no head to the drawn weapons being held by the other agents. Instead, he narrowed in on one man, "Damn it, Jethro! What the hell are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you, Tobias," The older man with cool blue eyes and graying hair poking out from beneath his NCIS cap smirked, his weapon dropping slightly.

"Do you know these people, Boss?" Yousef looked between Fornell and the intruders, both clad in matching black jackets and caps emblazoned with their agency's acronym."

"You can all lower your weapons," Fornell sighed, "Maya and Yousef, meet Special Agent Gibbs of NCIS." As his team reholstered their weapons, the FBI senior agent turned to his fair-weather friend, "I guess that means you know who we are watching."

"Yeah, but it's not who you think," The other agent chuckled, walking toward the door before turning back, "You coming?"

Ducky was just about to close up when something caught his eye. "'Ello, 'ello, 'ello, just what were you hiding, my dear?" He asked Sophie as he grabbed his scalpel and made a small incision into the organ. He sighed and clicked his tongue as he found the reason for the pronounced feature of the thickened organ housed in the woman's lower abdomen. "Oh, you poor girl. I wonder if you even knew of the precious cargo you were carrying."

It always saddened him when a young person wound up on one of his tables, it was even more bitter sweet in situations such as this. He had just finished closing up and was washing his hands when Abby came bursting into the lab, talking a mile a minute, Ducky tried to keep up but all he could really catch were the last words, "Kate's, or rather, Sophie's pregnant." She thrust the file she was carrying in his freshly washed hands.

"I know," Ducky smiled softly at her, "I found our third victim a few moments ago, I was hoping that it was just an anomaly that was causing the slight swell to her uterus, but alas, my first instinct was spot on. Does Kate know yet?"

"I'll head up to my lab and let her know," Abby turned on her heel and walked straight back to the elevator.

As Gibbs made his way across the street and up to the, until recently monitored, suite leaving the other agents not choice but to follow him. With a cursory knock, the senior NCIS agent strolled in without waiting for a response. As they walked in, they saw a young man who looked to be in his early to mid-30's with light hair and hazel eyes, wearing comfortable jeans and a dark grey sweater. He was sitting at the dining room table, his Sig Saur dismantled on an oil cloth as he meticulously cleaned the weapon.

The other inhabitant of the room was a woman who looked to be slightly younger than the man at the table, she was curled up on the corner of the sofa, her dark hair was caught up in a clip from which a few whips had fallen and were caressing her cheek bone. She wore a green turtle neck and a pair of dark wash jeans. Her sock clad feet were delicately crossed at the ankle as they rested beside her on the sofa. She had a book in her hand and was reading, she didn't even flinch when the group of interagency personnel entered the room.

"Was our cover blown?" The woman asked nonchalantly, turning a page calmly in the novel she still held in her hand.

"No," Gibbs shook his head before pointing his thumb over his shoulder toward the three FBI agents who were there, "But theirs was."

"What the hell is going on?" Fornell demanded, "What are Kate and DiNozzo doing in the Raniers' room?"

"Considering the Raniers are laying on a couple of Ducky's tables, filling in until we can figure out who they were sent after." Gibbs shrugged, "Yousef and Maya, meet Special Agents Tony DiNozzo and Kate Todd. You are now sharing this investigation, NCIS has the lead."

"On who's authority?" Fornell rounded on his friend while the younger agents got to know one another.

"Ours. Our bodies, our slabs, our event being targeted," Gibbs said plainly, "Our investigation, you can assist."

"Fine," Fornell huffed.

"You are one lucky man," Yousef settled in a chair diagonal from Tony who was finishing up putting his gun back together, "The bureau would never let us go that far to protect an undercover op. We got a little taste of the two of you last night, what's she like?"

Tony just looked up, giving the man a secretive yet dangerous smile as he readied his weapon, letting the slide snap back into place with a resounding click. "That kind of information comes as a high price Yousef," Tony annunciated the man's name sharply, "And trust me, it's way out of your price range."

Maya and Kate were having a much more pleasant conversation when the landline phone rang. Kate excused herself and walked through the open bedroom doors to answer it. "Yes?" The teams couldn't hear what was being said to her, but saw her reach into the nightstand drawer and pull out a thick book which concealed a burner phone, before she was bidding the caller adieu and hanging up, "Well that was our contact," She tossed the phone to Tony who pocked it, "He will call us with more information later. So, what is the plan?"

"You and Tony will stay here, wait for further instructions from your contact, and continue with the rest of the op." Gibbs instructed, "Maya and Yousef will provide back up if needed."

"Understood, Boss," Tony nodded as the bosses prepared to leave, when Kate's personal cell rang, he tried not to punch Yousef who was clearly watching Kate's ass as she stepped out of the room. He walked over to the couch where Maya was sitting, and flirted a bit with her as Kate was updated by Abby on the discovery the medical examiner and lab tech had just found.

"Everything okay?" He asked as his partner returned.

"I'm pregnant," Kate chuckled, "Or rather Sophie is, or was."

"That's so sad," Maya commented.

"Yeah, it means I have to figure out how I'm going to survive this assignment without the benefit of wine to deal with Tony," Kate gave her partner a smirk to which he responded with an eyeroll.

"Well let's leave the love birds to celebrate their happy news," Gibbs chuckled dryly as he led his team and Fornell's back into the corridor.

Once the door clicked behind the agents, Kate made her way to the couch and sat, "I don't get it, she was pregnant and she still accepted the job?"

"Do you honestly think that if you by some miracle conned some guy into procreating with you, that you would give up your job right away?" Tony challenged, trying to break the tension with his lame attempt at levity. If it was his wife who was pregnant, he wouldn't want her doing anything remotely dangerous. That thought led him to imaging Kate in his home, coming out of the ensuite bathroom, a white stick in her hand and a happy grin on her face. Shaking the image from his mind, he refocused on the woman sitting next to him.

"I guess you're right," Kate sighed, leaning back against his shoulder since he had draped his arm across the back of the sofa. "I mean, once I told Gibbs, it would be nothing but paperwork and desk duty for me for the duration of the pregnancy and perhaps even after I returned after giving birth. You know how he can be."

"I just feel bad for whatever poor sap knocks you up," Tony teased, "Not only would he have your father and brothers to deal with but Gibbs, Ducky, Probie, Ziva, Abby, and me to deal with as well. Not that McLightweight is all that intimidating, but you get the idea."

Kate chuckled at the idea, her hand absent mindedly stroking her lower abdomen as she imagined life growing within her. She could almost imagine breaking the news to the father, seeing him smile at the news as he wrapped her in his strong arms and kissed her, whispering promises and plans before bending and kissing her still flat stomach over where the baby rested. She tried not to overthink the fact that the husband in her mind bore a striking resemblance to one of her teammates, chalking it up to the assignment as she blinked, clearing the image from her mind. "Poor guy." Glancing at the clock, she stood and walked toward the bedroom, "It's nearly dinner time, I'm going to go get changed."

Tony watched as she strolled to the closet, removed a black dress and ducked into the bathroom to get ready. Judging by how long it took her to get ready the previous night, he took his time putting on his black suit with the charcoal pinstripes and black tie. He was tying his shoes when a perfectly manicured toe wrapped in a red peep-toe pump caught his eye. He followed the toe to the graceful ankle and shapely legs that led upward to a black wrap dress which draped softly over his partner's hips while the rest of the bodice showed off the curves she usually kept hidden. The sleeveless dress had a tie at her right hip which secured the garment causing it to have a deep neckline that stopped barely shy of indecent. The ever-present crucifix was paired with a set of ruby earrings and a matching tennis bracelet. Her makeup was flawless, highlighting her mesmerizing eyes in such a way that Tony knew he would have a hard time focusing on anything else. Her hair was swept up similarly to the way it was earlier that day, only with pins securing it rather than a clip, and the strands that now fell loose did so deliberately.

"Wow," Tony sighed when he could trust his voice once more. "You look beautiful."

"You're not so bad yourself," Kate teased, grabbing her wrap and purse, checking the mirror one more time to make sure her hair and makeup looked right, also that the earwig that McGee had dropped off when he had fetched their breakfast dinner was well hidden. She noticed Tony likewise fixed his hair and checked his own earwig before putting on his glasses and guiding Kate out the door.

The received updates on the rest of the findings regarding the couple whose lives they'd just stepped into as they ate. Kate got a chuckle when it was revealed that Jean-Paul was left handed, making Tony have to switch hands as he awkwardly tried to cut into the steak in front of him. Despite having to be on the lookout for their potential target, they had a pleasant meal.

"Do you think she knew?" Tony asked, breaking Kate of her musings.

"Knew what?" Kate asked, only to be answered by Tony pointing to her stomach with his knife, "Yeah, she definitely knew."

"How can you be so sure?" Tony challenged.

"A woman knows these things." Kate smiled at him, "But that still begs the question, why would she take the job when she knew she was pregnant."

"One last big payday?" Tony offered, as he fed her a bite of the cheesecake she'd been eyeing since it was given to him.

"Kids are expensive," She nodded thoughtfully, "But is that enough motivation to put herself and her child in potential danger?"

"Maybe they were looking to retire after this," He shrugged, "And she wouldn't have been in too much danger, she was the sniper."

"You have a point," Kate murmured, laying her hand on Tony's thigh just as she felt a familiar vibration, "The phone is ringing."

"So it is," Tony pulled the phone out of his pocket and looking at the number so that Abby could try to trace the call, he handed it over to Kate.

"Bonsoir," She cooed into the receiver.

"Do you see him?" The caller asked.

"I believe so," Kate smiled, "But you didn't tell us that he was going to be surrounded by Marines. I think it's too dangerous for the amount you're offering."

"You're really going to let that stop you?" The caller challenged.

"Offer me a number, and we'll see." Kate smirked. She saw Tony sit up and look towards the bay of pay phones that led to the restrooms, she nodded at him knowing that he'd just been clued into the whereabouts of the caller. She tried to keep the man talking as long as she could while she watched Tony and then McGee quickly make their way to the hall, but he hung up quickly. Tony soon returned to the table, "Did you get a look at him?"

"No, he was gone by the time we got there," Tony sighed, offering his hand as she stood. "McGee figures he made his way out through the kitchen. I guess that's it for now, we should probably head up and try to get some sleep, you need your rest, petite maman."

"You worry too much," Kate teased him, running her hand over his jaw as he wrapped his arm around her waist and led her to the elevator bay to return to their room.

"I'm gonna be a father, it's a lot of responsibility," Tony grinned charmingly at her as the elevator doors closed and the cab began its ascent, "You know, I wonder what you would look like pregnant."

"Like a whale, most likely," Kate chuckled, "The women in my family get huge."

"That would be horrifying," Tony teased, "I don't think you would be as cute as you are now, looking like a beached whale."

"Tony!" Kate smacked his chest.

"It's Jean-Paul ma ch rie," He murmured in her ear as he held her hand over his heart, "And you know I don't mean it, I bet you would be beautiful, glowing. La petit belle madone."

Kate looked up, the look in his eyes making it hard for her to catch her breath before the doors opened, breaking the spell and he guided her the rest of the way. Trying to quell the butterflies pulling zero-g tricks in her stomach, she grabbed her nightgown and headed to the bathroom to change. Tony watched as she made her retreat, he didn't know what had gotten into him teasing her that way, allowing his fantasy to take a life of its own. He cursed himself, knowing that even if he did feel something for her, nothing could ever happen. Not only did she not see him that way, but Gibbs would kill him, reciting rule number 12 as he flogged him to death. He heard the faucet turn on in the bathroom, indicating that Kate had started her nightly routine which usually took a few minutes.

Tony took his time divesting himself of his suit, hanging it in the closet before sliding into bed in nothing but his boxers. He was just laying back as Kate, clad in a nightgown made to look like an oversized t-shirt came out, quickly shutting of the light and making her way to the bed where she, too, slid in, laying on her side, facing away from him.

She was afraid to look his way, especially after the cold water from the sink had done nothing to cool how her skin flushed as image after image of Tony and her at various stages of pregnancy flooded her mind. She could see him bending over, talking gently to her stomach, kissing it just beneath her navel where only a slight swell would exist. Or sitting behind her, gently caressing her distended stomach with his thumbs as he held a pair of headphones over the swell as classical music was piped towards their child. She could even imagine him just after she'd given birth, his face glowing with love and pride as he looked between her and the bundle he cradled protectively in his arms. She'd seen glimpses of the gentler side of the man before, not that she'd ever admit it. She knew, deep down, very deep down, there was a soft side to him; that the flirtatious façade he showed to the rest of the worlds was bravado and nothing more. The thing that scared her the most was if she gave in, ignored rule number 12, she would fall so deeply in love with him, there would be no turning back.

She closed her eyes, willing the swirling thoughts in her mind to quiet as she tried to drift off to sleep. Come morning she was surprised at the position she was in. She was still on her side, but somehow during the night they had both drifted together and were now spooning, Tony's arms wrapped securely around her as his breath tickled he nape of her neck, sending shivers down her spine. What surprised her was how she'd been awoken, not by the feel of her partner's breath on her neck, or the gentle snore that came from his lips, but by the feel of his thumb tracing gentle, soothing circles in the space between her belly button and the top of her panties. At some point her nightgown had ridden up, allowing his hand access. She forced herself to relax, allowed mind to drift into the dream space where the line between reality and fantasy blurred.

"I love you, Katie," He slurred, his words coming out as a breath, barely able to be heard, but still causing her to stiffen before realizing he was talking in his sleep. She thought she'd heard him right, but she didn't want to trust her own ears, the four words sending her heard plummeting to her stomach as excited faeries danced around like Abby after four too many Caff-POWs. She forced herself to relax once more and was soon dozing off.

Tony woke up a moment later, the words echoing in his head, _I hope I didn't say that out loud, she'll kill me if I did._ He thought to himself as he tried to focus on her deep breaths, peaceful, and soothing. Realizing where his hand was, he quickly moved it, as if burned and pulled her nightgown back over her stomach. _Get a grip, DiNozzo, or you'll never get out the other side of this thing!_ He chastised himself as he slowly extricated himself from Kate. Leaving a quick note on the bedside table explaining that he'd gone to use the gym, he quietly pulled on his gym clothes and sneakers before grabbing his key card and heading down to the large workout facility where he'd seen a heavy bag and speed bag. Just what he needed to release his frustration, as least in part. There was no helping the deeper need and frustration that came along with working with Kate every day, especially under cover.


	4. Chapter 4

Kate awoke to find herself alone in bed, the midmorning light pouring in from a partial opening in the blinds. Stretching and sitting up she found a note next to the bed.

 _K,_

 _Went down to get in a work out, one of us has to stay in fighting condition. I'll be back later._

 _~T_

Rolling her eyes, she ripped up the note and tossed it in the trash before heading into the bathroom to take advantage of the large clawfoot tub that sat separate from the shower stall. Filling the basin with hot water, she added bath salts and bubble bath before slipping in and letting the warmth surround her. Closing her eyes and leaning back she allowed herself to relax and let the tension that had plagued her since she first opened the dossier at the beginning of the mission seeped out of her and into the fluid around her.

Tony hadn't noticed his partner soaking in the tub as he waltzed into the room, pulling off his sweat-soaked shirt before turning on the shower head and dropping his shorts. "Tony!" He heard the scream behind him, causing him to spin around quickly, grabbing the towel and swiftly wrapping it around his waist for modesty.

"Wow, Kate," He tried to tease, "If you wanted to see me naked, you could have just said so."

"Shut up DiNozzo," Kate growled, sinking lower into the bath, praying the suds would shield her body from his eyes, "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I figured I'd practice my Liberace," Tony rolled his eyes, "I just got back from working out, I'm sweaty and I stink so I was going to take a shower."

"Well get out!" Kate pointed towards the door, Tony opened his mouth to say something but the enraged look in her eyes made him think better of it as he slipped out the door.

Kate pulled the plug and quickly toweled off before grabbing her robe and exiting the room, "It's all yours," She waved a hand in the general direction of the door.

"I hope you left me some hot water," Tony teased, slipping through the door just as a pillow was hurled at his head.

They were eating breakfast when they received another call from their contact, who instructed them to meet him just after 2pm that afternoon. He told them that he would have a town car waiting for them. Gibbs and Fornell wasted no time getting their agents in place for the rendez vioux. Shortly before the time of the meet up, Tony and Kate made their way down to the lobby.

Tony was able to get a bellhop to hold the elevator for them as he and Kate slid in between the man's cart and the doors of the elevator. Just as they were about the pass the third floor, the elevator stopped and they were greeted by two men who had their guns trained on them, not including the bellhop who also had pulled out a SLR .380 with a silencer and was pointing it at the back of Tony's head.

"So glad you could join us, Mister and Missus Ranier," A man with dark hair, and even darker eyes greeted them. Kate recognized his voice as that of their contact.

"We would have come to the third floor if you'd just asked, three armed escorts seems a bit much," Kate quipped.

"Very nice, our location and our number all in one sentence." The man remarked snarkily, "Too bad your friends can't hear you."

Tony looked over his shoulder at the jamming device that the faux bellboy held in his hand. "Friends?" The smiled, "Man and I thought the little voices in my head were back."

"Jean-Paul," Kate scolded, "Does this really seem like the time for your jokes?"

"Your wife is quite right, this is not the time for levity," The contact warned before turning to his henchmen, "Take them to my room."

The men quickly grabbed the agents by their biceps and guided them roughly down the hall to a small room at the end where they were shoved into chairs and tied up back to back. Soon their contact strolled into the room, taking a seat facing them, watching them secretly impressed at how little they seemed to be panicking at such a time as this. He'd known more than his fair share of assassins who turned into quivering piles of jelly after such an event.

"Boss, I think we got a problem," Gibbs heard McGee's voice over the com as he, Jenny, and Fornell watched from MTAC. The FBI agents haven seen them, they never left the building, their not in their room, and they aren't answering hails.

"Damn it," Gibbs huffed.

"What?" Fornell, "What happened?"

"They dumped their earwigs and dumped their coms." Jenny explained.

"They're at the meet now." Gibbs pointed out, "McGee they're on the 11th floor, how many rooms between there and the lobby are there?"

"Not including bathrooms or closets…" The probationary agent started.

"Sometime today, McGee," He growled.

"264 guest rooms and 22 utility rooms." Tim quickly summed up.

"You want my guys to seal it off and check the rooms one by one?" Fornell offered.

"No, that will only blow their cover," Jen shook her head.

"If it hasn't been blown already," Gibbs sighed.

"So, what do we do now?" Fornell looked between the two NCIS representatives.

"We wait," Gibbs responded flatly, "Eventually they'll make contact."

The contact sat back, watching the couple sit still, neither trying to pull against their restraints, both sitting still and quiet. It was a bit unnerving to the point he had to say something. "Two things you need to know." He started, his voice low and menacing, "One, no one ever leaves this business. And two, never threaten the people who employ you."

Tony nodded, only half listening as he tried to formulate a plan to get Kate out of there, "Should I be writing this down or something?" His voice laced with sarcasm. "Kinda hard to do when my hands are bound."

With just a look from their employer, one of the lackeys landed a punch against Tony's jaw, making his head snap back and to the side, barely missing Kate's head with his own.

Their contact continued on, eyes narrowing ever so slightly as his gaze drifted over Kate's body, making her nauseous and Tony see red. "Where's the disk?"

"What disk?" Kate asked, not betraying that this was the first time either of them had ever heard of the item. She tried not to flinch as she heard another hit land on Tony's jaw. Tony saw his opportunity to get her out of there, and began to wait for just the right moment.

"Where, Mrs. Ranier?" The man repeated.

"Why do you think we would know?" Kate challenged.

"You must really think I'm stupid," Their contact chuckled darkly, "I saw your back up at the restaurant, surely you knew that this day was coming."

"What is our disk worth to you?" Tony challenged.

"I think the more important question," The contact rose from his seat and crossed the room until he was standing right over them, "Is what the disk is worth to you."

"Gibbs, I messed up!" Abby groaned as the senior agent strolled into her lab, "I didn't notice before, because I was focusing where Tony was focusing."

"Abbs," Gibbs warned, "What did you find?"

"When Tony couldn't find the bad guy, we assumed he had slipped away." Abby explained, "But if you look closer," She zoomed in on a window just past the bank of phones, "We have our bad guy."

"Run his name," Gibbs looked back at her.

"I did," Abby send the info to the main screen in front of which Gibbs stood, "His name is Marcos Saizon. He's a contact assassin, he practically makes Ziva seem like the Easter Bunny. He's wanted in at least five countries that we know of according to Interpol." She looked between Gibbs and the screen once more, "What I don't get is why a trained assassin would hire other killers to enact a hit."

Marcos was crouched in front of Kate, his hands merely inches from her knees. She cursed herself for choosing to wear a skirt the morning, but there was nothing that could be done about it now. "You now, out of professional curtesy, I've had Mr. Cort go easy on your husband."

"I appreciate that," Tony threw over his shoulder, "I really do."

"If I told you where the disk was, would you let him go?" Kate asked, her hazel eyes, meeting the soulless black ones of their captor.

She tried to bite back the nausea that threatened as chills ran down her spine at the cold smile on the man's lips as he snaked his eyes over her body once more. Mr. Cort was standing next to him in a matter of moments, holding a hard-sided case from which Marcos retrieved a knife, playing with it in his hands as he spoke, "You'll tell me either way. Why don't you two take a few moments to consider your options." With a nod to his associates, the three men exited the room.

"I think I have a plan," Tony looked over his shoulder at Kate as he slowly worked his hand back, straining against the rope that held him tight to grip her slim fingers. "The Raniers obviously stole something they want, you're going to give it to them."

"One large, gaping hole in that theory," Kate rebutted, "We don't know what or if they have it with them. We certainly don't have it."

"I never said the plan was perfect," Tony shrugged attempting levity to break the tension as he felt Kate's fingers squeeze his. "You're going to tell them it's in our hotel room and that the only way they'll get it is if you show them."

"And when they figure out I lied, they'll kill you," Kate scoffed, "Great plan, Tony, brilliant plan."

"McGee should be waiting for us to debrief by now," Tony pointed out, "He can help you with Tweedle Dumb and Dumber. Besides it's better that at least one of us gets out of this thing alive."

"Tony don't talk like that," Kate was fighting to hold back tears.

"Katie, I gotta tell you something before all this goes down…" Tony was interrupted by the door swinging back open, it was now or never to make their plan work.

Jimmy had just returned from Abby's lab where he'd just dropped off more particulate samples to the lab rat when Dr. Mallard tossed a magnifying glass at him. "Two centimeters below the supra-orbital notch, tell me what you see." The doctor never breaking focus off the delicate procedure he was working on, "At first I thought it was a speck of dust on the exposure, but upon closer examination, it appeared to be something else entirely."

"I think you're right doctor," Jimmy agreed, "it looks to be… a heart?"

"Rather a strange place to find one, don't you think, Mr. Palmer?" The doctor chuckled, pulling the object from Sophie and dropping it in a sample jar, "To Abby, please, and make it quick."

Jenny, Gibbs, and Fornell walked into the lab at Abby's request as she beamed up at them. "I found a chip in the heart that Ducky sent me, I ran an analysis on it and found this." She turned to pull up several documents on her computer, which was doubled on the large screen, "There's bank statements, titles, personal information, even a restaurant in Maine."

"Sounds like a retirement plan," Fornell mused.

"She was pregnant," Gibbs pointed out, "They were getting out of the business. Did you find anything else?"

"I'm so glad you asked, Gibbs," Abby smiled at him, "There was also a document listing names, aliases and contact information of all their known associates and clients."

"They weren't hired to make the hit," Gibbs put the pieces together, "They are the hit. Good work Abbs." He kissed the tech on the cheek before heading out, Fornell hot on his heels.

"Did you know that some knife makers make their blades so sharp that the initial incision is not even felt?" Marcos played with the blade just inches from Kate's face, taunting her with the reflection gleaming off the steel.

"Stop!" Tony called out, "The disk is in our hotel room."

"Jean-Paul, don't." Kate warned, "He'll only…"

"Let her go and she'll get it for you," Tony ignored her, resigned to the fact he wouldn't last much longer once she was gone.

"Where is it?" Marcos asked, a dangerous calm to his voice.

"She has to show you." Tony repeated.

"That is not what I asked," Marcos stepped closer to Kate's side, the tip of his blade dangerously close to the delicate skin of her neck.

"You'll never find it without her," Tony warned, "Not even if you kill us."

This must have been a good enough reason for the goon squad as Kate was roughly removed from her bonds while Marcos called his lackey who was dressed as a bellhop, informing him to clear their room. Hanging up, he grabbed his gun, screwing in the silencer, and draping a jacket over his arm so as to disguise the weapon as he led her out of the room, leaving Tony with the last man of their team.

"Your only mistake was going for one last payday before getting out," Marcos taunted, shoving Kate along the hall to the elevator. "You got greedy."

"I'm pregnant," Kate looked at the man seeing him hesitate for just a moment.

"Really?" He recovered quickly, "Congratulations, your first?"

"Yes," Kate smiled softly, "We don't want our child to be raised by nannies while we are traveling on business."

"Boy or girl?" Marcos asked, a slight softness showing around his eyes, giving Kate a slight glimpse as to what his private life may include.

"Don't know yet, I'm only a few weeks along." Kate shrugged.

"Morning sickness?" The man asked as they walked down the hall toward the elevator.

"A little, although I don't know why they call it morning sickness when it seems to hit more often in the afternoon or evening," Kate remarked, remembering what her sister-in-law had once said about the typical pregnancy side effect.

"My wife was throwing up all the time with our first," Marcos commented, "Could barely keep anything down, it's our daughter's 6th birthday today, and I'm missing it."

"I'm sorry," Kate gave him a sympathetic smile as the elevator doors opened to the 11th floor. "Perhaps I should get that disk for you so you can be on your way."

"I'd be much obliged," Marcos smiled at her.

"If I get you this disk, are you still going to kill us?" Kate tilted her head to the side, looking at the man.

"I haven't decided yet," Marcos admitted as they approached the door, "We are assassins, you can't just walk away whenever you feel like it."

"But having to clean up after, would take more time away from your daughter." Kate pointed out.

"Let's just play it by ear," Marcos tossed the key card to the ground in front of the door, "Open it."

Kate opened the door looking around the room before finding McGee laying, face-down, on the floor. Rushing to his side, she tried to check for visible wounds.

"I hope you weren't counting on your backup, Mrs. Ranier," Marcos quipped.

"Oh, he's not my backup," Kate smiled over her shoulder as Gibbs came out from behind the door and knocked Marcos out with one punch. "He is."

"Tony?" The older man called out.

"Room 356!" Kate called out as Gibbs rushed out of the room and McGee cuffed the unconscious assassin.

"You know," Tony chuckled as the remaining Lackey paced menacingly near him, "I was actually looking forward to having a kid for a minute there. It's kinda a big step for me, having a little DiNozzo running around."

"DiNozzo?" The confused look on the lackey's face saying it all.

"Yeah, that's my name," Tony smirked, "NCIS Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo."

He stood quickly, hitting the lackey with the chairs he was still bound with, knocking the man over and sending the knife flying across the room before setting the chair down so that the bar rested ever so slightly over the man's neck and in such a way that the lackey couldn't reach him. He was landing a few more blows with the side of his foot when Gibbs and McGee came bursting in, closely followed by Kate.

"Tony, I think you made your point," She laid a gentle hand on his shoulder when she saw the unconscious man at Tony's feet. Borrowing a knife from Gibbs, she quickly released Tony's hands from their bindings and, wrapping her arms around his waist, helped him up, "Let's go home."

"Did I miss something?" Gibbs demanded, watching the pair as McGee cuffed the lackey who was starting to regain consciousness.

"No, boss," Tony stumbled, "Just needing a little help waling a straight line at the moment."


	5. Chapter 5

Later that evening, the team was gathered around Tony's desk as Dr. Mallard gave him a once over, "Well it seems as if the emergency room did a good job with you." The older man smiled down at him, "How do you feel?"

"Better, now I feel more like I've been runover by a pickup rather than a semi." Tony groaned.

"You should probably go home and rest," Ducky advised, "You'll feel much better come morning."

"We're going to take really good care of you," Abby promised, "I had McGee bring your car around front."

"You let the Probie drive my car?" Tony glared at the lab tech before turning his sights on the probationary agent.

"Only as far as your parking space to the front of the building." McGee assured him.

"I'm driving you home," Kate informed him, taking the keys from McGee.

"Do you know how to drive a stick?" He turned his sights on his partner.

"I've driven a few in my life," She gave him a secret smile, "I'm sure I can figure yours out. Come on, time to get you home and into bed."

"I'm a little vulnerable, how do I know you're not going to take advantage of me?" He teased his arm around her shoulder as he leaned on her on their way out to the car.

"I think you're going to have to trust me," Kate rolled her eyes, "Get in the car."

The drive back to Tony's condo was quick and before they knew it Kate was unlocking the front door of the unit. "Go get changed," She instructed, "I'll go get our bags."

"You planning on staying the night, Katie?" Tony gave her a flirtatious smile.

"Ducky said you might have a concussion." She shook her head, a small smile on her face, "I have to stay to make sure your brain didn't get rattled around in your thick skull too much."

"I feel the love." Tony chuckled as he made his way to his room. Taking off the sweater and pants he'd been wearing, pulling on a pair of sweats and an old Ohio State t-shirt, he slid into bed.

Just as he was drifting off to sleep, he heard the front door open and close followed by the soft _snick_ of the deadbolt being engaged. "Kate, come lay down." He encouraged her.

"I don't think that's a good idea," She shook her head.

"It's not like I'm gonna bite," Tony countered, "Besides you're gonna have to wake me up ever few hours to make sure I don't slip into a coma so you can fall in love with my brother, or worse, McGee."

"I don't have anything to wear to bed," She protested, rolling her eyes at the movie reference.

"We can fix that," Tony rolled of the bed and pulled open a drawer, pulling out a shirt before tossing it at her, it was a long grey t-shirt with NCIS printed in navy lettering. Knowing she'd been beat, she ducked into the ensuite bathroom and quickly changed, emerging wearing nothing but his shirt and her panties. She hesitated at the doorway, looking between Tony and the bed, "You can come over here, it's not like I haven't seen you in less." He watched as she slowly made her way across the room. He pulled the covers back so she could slide in, "I promise I will be a perfect gentleman."

"I know," Kate laid back against the thick pillows, as Tony turned out the light. They lay in silence a few moments before she found her voice again. "What were you going to say?"

"When?" Tony asked, rolling over to face her, trying not to focus on how beautiful she looked in the pale moonlight.

"Earlier today before you sent me to get the 'disk,'" She explained. "It sounded like it might be important."

"We've both had a long day, I don't want to take advantage." Tony sighed, trailing his fingers up and down the soft skin of her forearm, interlinking their fingers and kissing the back of her hand.

"What if I want you to?" She turned so that her eyes met his.

"Are you sure?" Tony asked, releasing her hand so that he could caress her cheek and jaw with his rough fingers. She nodded as he slowly lowered his lips to hers. It was nothing like the kisses they'd shared during the mission, or even before in Abby's lab. This kiss was honest, and pure, hopeful, and revealing. "Wow." Tony whispered.

"Wow is right," Kate smiled up at him, "I would love to continue this, but we both need sleep."

"I agree," Tony slowly released her and laid back on his side of the bed.

"Can I ask you something?" Kate's small voice broke through the pre-sleep haze.

"Hmm?"

"Hold me?" She requested, inching closer to him as he opened his arms and drew her closer to himself until her head lay on his chest, tucked beneath his chin, and her body melded to his side while their legs tangled under the sheets. He waited until she dropped off to sleep before kissing her head.

"Katie, what are you doing to me?" He whispered, "I think I am falling in love with you."

A few moments passed before he heard her soft voice, "That's good, because I'm pretty sure I'm already in love with you."

The next morning Tony awoke to a slight headache, and empty bed and a note on the side table next to a glass of water and aspirin.

 _T –_

 _Sorry to leave so early but Abby, and I had made plans for a girls' day of pampering before the ball. I'll meet you there._

 _Love, K_

Tony smiled and laid back in his bed. He hadn't been looking forward to the event that evening, but knowing that Kate would be there was quickly changing apprehension to anticipation that that evening. He was both excited and disappointed that Kate already had a ride to the event. On one hand, he was hoping for some private time on the way there just the two of them to talk a bit more than they had the few times she'd woken him up to check his cognitive function. On the other hand, at least he wouldn't be the only one surprised by an attractive woman. Rumor around the office was that McGee and Abby were making another go at it. Not to mention everyone could see the sparks that flew between the new director and Gibbs. If the minimal knowledge he'd gained of the director was true, she like to keep the senior field agent on his toes. He had his suspicions that it was likely the same when the two were partners all those years ago.

He passed the day watching movies until the mid-afternoon when he hopped in the shower to get ready. After shaving and putting on the aftershave he knew Kate preferred, he arranged his hair until it was the mix of class and roguish mess that only he could pull off. Checking the time once more, he went to his closet and pulled out his tuxedo and his favorite Salvatore Ferragamo shoes, making sure the latter was buffed to a mirror shine. Grabbing the cufflinks he'd inherited from his grandfather when his mother passed away, he got dressed. It was a quarter to six when he grabbed his coat, wallet and keys and headed out the door.

Tony lightly ran his hand over his restored '65 Shelby 350, which he'd gotten as a replacement and upgrade from the mustang that had been stolen and totaled two years before. It was black with a satin matte finish and the classic thick white racing stripes over the hood. Unlocking the door, he slid in and made his way down town, stopping first at Martha's Gardens to pick up a single red tulip, Kate's favorite flower, before continuing to the Barclay. Tipping the valet handsomely to take superb care of the car, he made his way into the ballroom.

In the mass of dark navy blue, he was easily able to spot his team. Although Gibbs had dusted off his dress blues, the rest of the gentlemen; Ducky, McGee, Palmer, as well as himself were dressed in black tuxedos. Ducky, of course, had been given permission by SecNav himself to sport the medals which he'd been awarded during when in the service if Her Majesty's armed forces. "Why Anthony, you cleaned up very well." The doctor complemented him.

"Thanks Duck," Tony brushed invisible lint off the jacket of his tux.

"Hoping to impress a special young lady, perhaps?" Ducky hinted. Tony just shrugged, not noticing the older man's attention being drawn to something behind him. "Well here's your chance."

The team turned toward where Ducky nodded. There in the doorway stood three beautiful women. The director stood in the middle, her long red hair pulled up in a sophisticated French twist. Her black gown showed off her assets appropriately without being vulgar and clung to every curve of her body to just above her knees where the skirt flowed down to the floor. Abby's gown was a deep crimson, it had capped sleeves and black mesh that flowed from a red choker band down to the sweetheart neckline. The bodice followed the shape of her torso to her waist where it flared out and draped to just above her ankles where she wore black strappy sandals through which her freshly painted red pedicure could be seen. She wore hear hair in soft waves that flowed over her shoulders, paired with her elegant makeup, made her look like a pinup doll come to life.

Tony of course didn't notice much about the two other women; his eyes were transfixed on the bombshell in sapphire blue. Kate had an off-the shoulder gown with short sleeves, her bodice was made to look as if it wrapped around her before draping over her hips to brush the floor in waves of chiffon. He could just make out the silver peep-toed pumps she wore as she made her way across the floor to him. Tony's mouth went dry at the sight of her, and he felt like a gangly teenager with his first crush.

"Hi," She smiled up at him.

"Hey yourself," He grinned, handing her the flower in his hand.

"Thank you," She smelled the tulip before placing it on the table over her place setting. "You look nice."

"And you are gor… beau…" Tony stumbled, "Wow, you… just wow."

"I think there was a compliment in there," Kate teased, "Thanks."

"Katie," He spoke in a low voice, "There are not words to describe how fantastic you look."

Neither had noticed Gibbs stroll over until he slapped Tony upside the head, "I don't want to know what this is, just keep whatever it is out of the office."

"Yes, Boss," The agents chimed.

"That goes for you two as well," The Marine pointed a look toward Tim and Abby who were sitting closely at the table before turning back to Kate, "You look beautiful Kate."

"Thank you, Gibbs," Kate smiled before Tony led her to the table and pulled out her seat for her as the wait staff began to bring out serving trays to each table.

The eight of them, Tony and Kate, Tim and Abby, Jenny and Gibbs, Palmer, and Ducky shared a table, enjoying their meal and camaraderie as they ate. Soon speeches were given and cake was cut and eaten, and a 20-piece band started to play. Ducky stood, offering his hand to the director as he asked Gibbs acquiescence. Gibbs in turn asked Abby to dance, both pairs looking as if they were sharing a father-daughter dance.

"May I have this dance?" Tony asked, offering his hand to Kate, "I promise not to step on your toes."

"Well with an offer like that, how can I refuse?" She chuckled, taking his hand and following him out to the floor. She wasn't expecting him to be terrible, but she was surprised at how well Tony moved with her in his arms. The pair danced most of the time together, except for the single dances she joined Ducky, Gibbs, and McGee. She even joined Abby and Jenny when the tempo picked up and the combination of the beet and the wine they'd been drinking all night got them in a silly move as they bounced around to the beat, much to the amusement of their male counterparts.

As midnight approached, the guests began to dwindle, McGee and Abby had left an hour before, followed soon by Ducky who had to go relieve his mother's caretaker. Palmer claimed he had a test to study for and headed out, leaving Jenny and Gibbs sitting at the table, watching Tony cradle Kate in his arms as they waltzed across the floor to an old Sinatra tune. "Were we ever that young?" Jenny looked at her former partner.

"We still are," Gibbs gave her a small smile.

Jenny smiled back at him before leaning back and resting her head on his shoulder, "Were we ever that in love?"

"Oh yeah," Gibbs nodded, "We just didn't realize it until it was too late."

"Do you still think it's too late?" Jenny peeked at him.

"I think we let a lot of stuff get between us and we have to sort it out," Gibbs mused, "But I don't think any of it is insurmountable."

"Hmm," Jenny relaxed into him, enjoying the strength of his arms wrapped around her, "They look well together."

"Yeah, they do," He nodded, "It's about damn time too, they've been dancing around, hurting each other since the day we stepped foot on Air Force One."

"Do you think they never did anything before now because of your infamous rules?" Jenny chuckled.

"Probably, but they've individually and collectively broken every other rule I have," The old marine shrugged, "Besides you were the reason behind rule #12, and frankly, I'm tempted to do away with it all together, no one seems to be heeding it anymore now, least of all me."

Jenny watched the younger couple dance a bit more before smiling impishly, "I give them a year, maybe two."

"Until what?" Jethro asked, even though he already suspected what she was thinking.

"Before we're watching from the sidelines of their wedding." Jenny grinned.

"$20 says they're married in a year" Gibbs challenged, "And in less than two you're signing off on maternity leave for Kate.

"I'll take that bet," Jenny shook his hand, "Only I say 9 months to the wedding, and less than 6 before they cop to being pregnant."

Little did the older couple know, but Kate and Tony had been watching them too. "How much you want to bet the director will be wife number 4?"

"Five," Kate shook her head.

"You think he'll go for someone else first?" Tony looked between his girlfriend and the clearly amorous older couple.

"No, he's thrice divorced, but he's been married four times," Kate pointed out, "His first wife and daughter were murdered."

"That explains a lot," Tony nodded.

"Yeah, but I have the feeling that if they would just get over themselves, it would stick." Kate smiled. "I give it 3 months before they give in, maybe another two years before they elope."

"Elope?" Tony grinned.

"Yeah, I doubt they'd do anything over the top," Kate shrugged, "Can you imagine Gibbs being at the center of attention like that?"

"You have point." Tony acquiesced.

"That's cause I'm the smart one," Kate grinned mischievously, "You're just the pretty face."

"I'd be wounded if it weren't partly true," Tony teased back, "You're definitely not bad looking either."

Kate blushed at the compliment as she saw Tony lowering his head to kiss her, "Gibbs," She whispered.

"He said keep it out of the office," He murmured inches from her mouth, "We aren't in the office"

"Good point," She gave into the kiss, not noticing the pleased smiles coming from the older couple at the table.

"Let's say we get out of here," Tony suggested.

"Let's," She smiled up at him as they headed toward the coat check to retrieve their coats and her purse. The valet was quick puling Tony's car around and before long they were driving off into the night.


	6. Epilogue

"Where are you taking me?" Kate demanded from the passenger seat of their rental car, they had left Farmington and had seen nothing but barren desert ever since.

"You'll see." Tony grinned, they had recently finished helping out the LA office with a case concerning a petty officer who had gone missing shortly after he had arrived in Monterrey. His body had been found in a shallow grave near a popular vacation site. Turns out his wife and lover had found out about each other and had teamed up to deal with him. They didn't expect to be caught, but a fiber on the plastic sheeting in which the petty officer had been wrapped connected back to the girlfriend while the wife's DNA was found on the body, thanks to a stray hair that had fallen on his uniform.

Gibbs had told them to take their time coming home since they hadn't had any real time off since their honeymoon two years before. He had hinted that it might be the last time they would be able to get away together for a while which confused them both until they started putting the pieces together to figure out what the man was hinting at. Tony noticed that Gibbs had been treating Kate softer as of late, not that he didn't treat Kate like a daughter anyway, but it was somewhat different, more protective.

"You know I hate it when you do this," Kate playful complained, "You don't honestly think I'll have sex with you in the car even if we're in the middle of nowhere."

"As hot as that may sound," Tony gave her a sexy smile, his eyes wandering over her still lithe frame, "That is not the reason for this little road trip. Remember how I told you about my uncle who encouraged me to join NCIS after Gibbs approached me?"

"The old Naval admiral," Kate supplied.

"Yeah, that would be the one." Tony nodded and turned his eyes back to the road in front of him, "For the past 8 years or so, he's been attached to a top-secret project which is led by a certified genius. I mean the man holds like 3 or 4 doctorates, the genius not my uncle. Anyway, my uncle not only oversees the project but serves as a liaison of sorts for his partner."

"If it's top-secret, how do you know about it?" Kate chuckled.

"Because my uncle can't keep a secret from me." Tony grinned as a large building rose in the distance in front of them.

"What is that?" Kate asked, pointing toward the building on the horizon.

"That, my dear Katie, is where my uncle works." Tony kept driving, slowing to a stop only when they reached the gate and the marine standing guard asked to see their IDs. They both pulled out their NCIS badges and were welcomed to the facility. Before long they were parked and being led down a long hallway by a man with bad breath who had the tendency to ramble.

"Here we are," The man nodded to an office with a large oak desk which held a computer, an ashtray, and several files. On the walls there were pictures of various people, including the admiral's family and colleagues from both his time in the Navy and with the project. One man looked oddly familiar to Kate, he was taller, probably about the same height as her husband with blue-green eyes, and short dark hair that had a streak of grey in the front. His smile and his eyes were what drew her in as she stepped to get a closer look at the picture. "The admiral should be finished up in a little bit, make yourselves comfortable."

As soon as the other man walked off, Kate turned to Tony and pointed at the picture that had her transfixed, "Who are they?"

"That would be my uncle and his business partner," Tony explained, identifying he people in the photo with his finger, "They're best friends, and these are their wives."

"Are you close to your uncle?" Kate asked, taking a seat in one of the leather chairs that sat on the guest side of the desk.

"I was as a kid, I spent a lot of time at their house, wherever they were stationed, growing up. After my mom died, he was my only connection to that side of my family." Tony explained, sitting on the arm of her chair "I had another aunt from my mom's side too, but she died in an institution before I was born."

"Was she sick?" Kate asked, placing her hand over his and squeezing reassuringly.

"No, it was just what they did back then," Tony rolled his eyes, "She had down syndrome and back then the thing to do with developmentally handicapped people was to send them to an institution. My grandpa did his best to not let her into one of those places, but when he died unexpectedly, she was sent to an institution while my uncle and mom were sent into foster care since their mom had also died young."

"I'm sorry," Kate leaned her head on his shoulder.

"It's not your fault," Tony reassured her, stroking her hair and dropping a kiss on her head, "It was a long time ago."

"Do you think…" Kate couldn't finish the question.

"Would it make a difference?" Tony asked, anticipating her concern.

"No, it wouldn't," Kate shrugged, relaxing into him. "I love you."

"I love you too, Il mio amore," Tony smiled down at her affectionately. "Even if you are a little shitzu sometimes." His puckish grin making Kate laugh and roll her eyes at him. That was how his uncle found them as he entered the office.

"Ciao zio, come è appeso?" Tony turned his grin on his uncle.

"Polpetto, che è per me sapere e la vostra fidanzata per scoprire." The older man clapped him on the back. It was clear that the two were related, they had the same eyes, the same smile, and the same dirty sense of humor if she understood enough of the greeting.

"Did he just call you a meatball?" The woman turned to the young man.

"It's a nickname." He sighed.

"When he was little, he would always steal his Zia's meatballs," The man explained, "Hense the name, but you didn't come all this way to hear that, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I don't think you'd believe it until you saw it yourself," Tony stood and offered his hand to his wife, "Zio, I would like you to meet my wife, Kate. Katie, this is my uncle, Admieral Al Calavicci."

"Nice to meet you," Al smiled as he kissed her cheek, "Are you two going to join us for dinner?"

"I spoke with Zia Beth earlier and she told us the best way to get you come home at a decent hour would be to come get you ourselves." Tony shrugged. "So you coming? I think she's making lasagnae tonight."

"You know how I can't resist your Zia's cooking," Al smiled, "Probably shouldn't make her wait any longer."

"Probably not," Tony took his wife's hand and followed the man out of the building. Once they were in their respective cars, they headed back towards Farmington to the Calavicci's home. "Would you be okay if we told them?"

"I'm okay with it." Kate smiled up at him, "No reason why we shouldn't, they are family."

"I love you." Tony smiled back at her as he followed his uncle through traffic.

Dinner was filled with stories, laughter, and pleasent conversation. Kate was fascinated by the stories of the older couple both from the Navy and their respective careers now. They had just finished dinner and were enjoying coffee and cookies in the living room when Beth looked at them and smiled. "I suppose we should congratulate the two of you."

Tony and Kate shared a look and smiled back at the woman, understanding her words. Al, the other hand was confused. "What are we congratulating them on?"

"You are so blind, it's truely amazing they allowed you to fly as long as you did," Beth chuckled, nodding back to the younger couple, Tony was sitting on the couch and had his arm wrapped around his wife, who had laid back into him, her body at a slight perpendicular angle, nearly sitting on his lap. Every so often he would kiss her cheek, it was clear to the older couple that they were very much in love, however that was not what Beth had seen. It took Al a moment longer to really take in what his wife was seeing, Kate was leaned back, allowing Tony's arm to wrap further around her body which in turn allowed his hand to rest, almost protectively so, over her lower abdomen.

"Well I'll be..." Al gasped, "You mean she's..."

The younger couple shared another look, and grinned like a pair of Cheshire cats at the older man as they nodded their confirmation. "We just found out." Kate smiled up at her husband. "In about seven months, another DiNozzo will arrive."

Al, met his nephew's eyes, pride glowing from them both. "You did good Tone, you did good."


End file.
